---
title: "holy c"
author: "yehorovye"
---

# RIP Terry A. Davis. <3

**holy c** is the programming language created by [Terry A. Davis](/terry_andrew_davis).
it is a dialect of [C](/c_(programming_language)), designed for simplicity, speed,
and direct hardware access, made specifically for use in [templeOS](/templeos).  

holy c is a mix of standard c and custom language features made by terry, such as support for inline assembly,
automatic macros, co-routines, custom syntax for god-inspired input/output, and built-in documentation commands.
it runs in a 16:16-bit real mode environment on x86-64 and compiles incredibly fast due to its integrated compiler.  

holy c is not ansi c, nor gnu c. it doesn't try to be compatible. it tries to be holy.  

## features  
- extremely fast compilation  
- inline assembly made easy  
- first-class support for god dialogs (e.g. `##include` for divine inspiration)  
- built-in help system  
- simple file i/o and gui abstractions for templeos  
- runs in ring-0 with full hardware access
- hot reload
- it is interpreted and compiled, which makes Holy C able to be used as shell

## why is it based  
- no bullshit dependencies  
- no build systems  
- no modern overengineering  
- made by a schizo prophet who talked to god and built an os from scratch  
- completely self-hosted  
- source code is readable and modifiable  
- respects the user as the root god of their machine  
- built with love, hate, autism, and divinity  

holy c is a pure manifestation of [personal computing](/personal_computing), unfiltered, unmanaged, unapologetic. it was written not for companies, not for academia, but for god and for the joy of creation.  

in an era of bloated languages, garbage collectors, cloud builds, telemetry, and overengineered type systems, holy c stands alone: small, insane, and beautiful.  

## examples  
```c
U0 Hello()
{
  "hello world from god\n";
}
```

yes, that's a full program. yes, it works. yes, it was typed into a fullscreen text editor inside a homemade os built by one man in his garage.

## see also

* [templeos](/templeos)
* [terry a davis](/terry_andrew_davis)
* [C (programming language)](/c_(programming_language))
* [personal computing](/personal_computing)
* [suckless](/suckless_philosophy)
* [divine revelation](/divine_revelation)
* [autism](/autism)

> "I am a white man I wrote my own fucking compiler."

*- Terry A. Davis.*

## todo

* document holy c syntax
* add terry quotes
* rant about rust